AMERICAN BOARD OF PEDIATRICS

Abstract

THE WRITTEN examination of January 12, 1956, was taken by 480 candidates, exactly the same number as took the test of January, 1955. The examination proved to be more difficult than previous tests; the reasons for this may well be multiple. Nevertheless, the fact stands out that the vast majority of candidates needed the full 3 hours to complete the test and that most felt the pressure of time and were unable to review questions they had answered hurriedly. Because the grades averaged considerably lower than those of previous years, a formula was devised for adjusting the grades in such a way that the percentage of failures would be approximately the same as in 1955, that the passing grade would remain at 52, and that the mean grade would remain essentially the same for both years. It should be stressed that this process of adjusting grades in no way alters the rank order standing of the candidates. On this basis there were 41 candidates, or 8.5% who failed and were therefore ineligible for oral examination. The adjusted marks earned by the candidates varied from a lowest grade of 29.3 to a highest grade of 94.2 and therefore covered a range satisfactory for differentiation. However, the increased hardness of the test and the necessity for adjusting the grades were associated with a significant loss in the inherent reliability of the examination, that is to say, the "probable error of estimate" (P.E.m) was larger than it has been in recent years. The data on this statistic since the time of adoption of objective methods of testing are indicated in the following table: [SEE TABLE IN SOURCE PDF].